Transcript Highlights:

• This does not allow the social housing developer to do anything on their own.
• And so allowing a large on-site septic kind of allows that ability for those landowners to kind of create
• And so allowing a large on-site septic kind of allows that ability for those landowners to kind of create
• And so allowing a large on-site septic kind of allows that ability for those landowners to kind of create
• SHB 2452 offers a common-sense correction by allowing more workable and consistent methods.

Bills: HB2304 , HB2664

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: condominium, housing, warranty, property rights, construction, HB 2664, unlawful detainer, eviction notice, landlord-tenant, tenant rights, service of process, certified mail, notice by mail, notice posting, possession action, vacate notice, Washington RCW 59.12, housing law, rental housing, forcible entry and detainer

Transcript Highlights:

• This does not allow the social housing developer to do anything on their own.
• This does not allow the social housing developer to do anything on their own.
• And so allowing a large on-site septic kind of allows that ability for those land uses to kind of create
• And so allowing a large on-site septic kind of allows that ability for those lamards to kind of create
• SHB 2452 offers a common-sense correction by allowing more workable and consistent methods.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related bills. Representative Connors testified on two notice-service bills: HB 2452, which would change manufactured/mobile home rent increase notices so they are served like other MHLTA notices rather than by certified mail, and HB 2664, which would remove certified-mail requirements for unlawful detainer and related notices. Connors said the current certified-mail rules are causing notices to go unclaimed and creating unnecessary costs for housing providers, while staff explained the bills would allow service by regular mail in the same manner as other notices. Public testimony on both bills was generally supportive, emphasizing reduced cost and better delivery, though one witness on HB 2452 urged allowing electronic notice options as well. The committee also heard SHB 2269, which clarifies that middle housing in limited areas of more intensive rural development may be served by either a public sewer system or a large on-site sewage system in rural counties, while non-rural counties would still require public sewer service. The sponsor and supporters said the bill resolves ambiguity created by prior legislation and gives county planners more flexibility; questions focused on what kinds of systems and uses would qualify. EHB 1687 was heard next and would expand the housing cooperation law to allow cities and counties to assist social housing public development authorities. Representative Reed and supporters said the bill would give Seattle and potentially other jurisdictions a tool to support permanently public, mixed-income housing with land, infrastructure, and other assistance. In executive session, the committee adopted a due-pass recommendation for EHB 1345 after Senator Gaynor withdrew an amendment that would have removed water-withdrawal and metering requirements for detached ADUs outside urban growth areas. The committee also adopted a striking amendment and moved ESHB 1500 and EHB 1501 forward, both with updated timelines and clarifications related to common-interest-community resale certificates and owner inquiries. Amendments to ESHB 1974 on land bank authorities were rejected, including proposals to remove private negotiation and tax preferences, and the bill was sent to Ways and Means. Finally, SHB 2288 on scissors stairs was advanced without amendment. Later, the committee heard HB 2304, which would expand the 2-10 warranty option to certain four-story stacked-flat condominium projects; testimony from builders, housing advocates, and the Office of Insurance Commissioner supported it as a way to reduce liability costs and increase condo supply. The committee also took testimony on EHB 1687 and HB 2664, and then closed the hearing on SHB 2452 after hearing support from housing providers for easing manufactured-home rent notice service requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• LA Wallet allowed.
• LA Wallet allowed.
• LA Wallet allowed.
• LA Wallet allowed.
• Wallet allowed.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee met on May 12, 2026, and first approved SB 518, which gives LSU limited authority to buy and sell certain real estate within one mile of campus as a two-year pilot program. Supporters said the bill would let LSU respond more quickly to deteriorating properties near campus and improve the student experience, while keeping protections such as appraisals and fair-market-value requirements. Members asked about whether the authority would affect residential property or be expanded to other universities, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then advanced SCR 33, creating a one-year Work-Based Learning Coordination Task Force to study and better align apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing, and related programs across state agencies and employers. Testimony emphasized the need to reduce duplication and improve coordination so students and employers can more easily connect. HR 168 also passed, directing the Board of Regents to study collegiate athletic program funding after concerns raised by athletic directors about deficits and accounting practices. Members next approved SB 488, establishing a school safety drone response pilot program to supplement school crisis plans. The bill drew detailed testimony from a vendor describing drone deployment, response times, and coordination with law enforcement; an amendment was adopted to require coordination with the Department of Education, State Police, and the Sheriffs’ Association. The committee also favorably reported HCR 97, asking BESE and Wildlife and Fisheries to study adding age-appropriate hunting, conservation, and shooting sports education in grades 5-12, with members clarifying that no live firearms would be used on campus. Finally, the committee approved SB 112, allowing local school boards to adopt parental-consent release-time policies for religious instruction, with amendments adding instructor qualifications, reporting requirements, electronic delivery flexibility, and constitutional safeguards. It also reported SB 504, expanding individual graduation plans to include vocational options and apply to charter schools, with an amendment for standalone elementary charters. The committee then passed SB 346 and SB 347, both dealing with deepfakes—one prohibiting their use against K-12 students and the other adding unlawful deepfakes to campus power-based violence rules—and SB 353, authorizing postsecondary systems to digitize student IDs for use in LA Wallet. Several members raised concerns about naming LA Wallet specifically, but the bill was still reported favorably. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can answer questions about HOV lanes, but it allows electric vehicle owners to purchase a decal to
• put on the back of their car, which allows them to use the HOV lanes at no cost.
• for E-ZPass used by EVs will help traffic flow overall. allows electric vehicle uh owners of allows
• </c> vehicles and what that does is it allows vehicles and what that does is it allows for<00:02:45.519
• </c><00:16:19.720><c> setting</c> 2B and d and c allows setting 2B and d and c allows setting subcontracting

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it is a religious liberty issue, and it allows...
• It's simply an allowable permit.
• It simply allows housing.
• They are allowed in all zones of our community.
• We simply don't allow them in single-family districts.

Bills: HB24 , HB2015 , HB2149 , HB2559 , HB2701 , HB2797 , HB3172 , HB24

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Keywords: zoning, public notice, local government, residential development, protests, water conservation, municipal utility districts, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, environmental regulation, groundwater management, nonconforming uses, zoning regulations, land use, property rights, municipal authority, municipal moratorium, development moratorium, property development, subdivision, site plan

Transcript Highlights:

• allocation because our role is to manage the allowance supply, and no-cost allowances are going up as
• To manage the allowance supply.
• And no-cost allowances are going up as a percentage of the total allowance supply every year, which is
• then reduce the number of allowances to entities that already receive those no-cost allowances?
• We're just trying to manage the allowances and the value of the allowances that the state gives to regulated

Summary: The committee heard public hearings on four bills. SB 5982 would expand Clean Energy Transformation Act coverage to include port districts and certain single-customer utilities, and would revise definitions for market customers and affected market customers. Supporters, including environmental groups, Commerce, Ecology, and some port and utility representatives, said it would close loopholes and ensure large loads such as data centers and port-based generation are subject to CETA. Opponents from ports, PUDs, business groups, and industrial consumers argued the bill could sweep in existing single-customer utilities and burden smaller ports or industrial projects. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing after noting substantial pro, con, and other testimony. SB 6008 would create a statewide residential battery incentive and flexible demand program administered through Commerce, with higher incentives for low- and moderate-income customers and requirements tied to utility flexible demand programs. Supporters said it would improve grid resilience, lower bills, and help deploy virtual power plants and distributed storage. Utilities and some advocates supported the concept but asked for changes on funding, low-income verification, compensation, deadlines, and program design. No action was taken beyond the public hearing. SB 6050 would allow portable plug-in solar devices and one meter-mounted device per premises, while restricting utilities, landlords, and HOAs from blocking them and setting safety and certification conditions. Supporters called it a low-cost way to expand distributed solar access, especially for renters and lower-income households. Opponents, including labor, utilities, and safety-focused witnesses, raised concerns about fire risk, backfeeding, lack of existing electrical code standards, utility worker safety, and the need for interconnection review. The committee then heard SB 6056, which would direct Ecology to exempt utility service vehicles from certain clean vehicle emissions standards; Ecology said it was already pursuing a similar rule and flagged the bill’s broad definition and potential policy implications, while utility associations supported the exemption for emergency response vehicles and environmental advocates opposed the statutory approach. No votes were taken on any of the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:26.240><c> within</c> were allowed are to be allowed within were allowed are to be allowed
• But it doesn't allow it on much.
• But it doesn't allow it on much.
• But it doesn't allow it on much.
• </c><00:54:00.800><c> If</c> they're allowing other things. If they're allowing other things.

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Every viewpoint is allowed to the same extent that others are allowed.
• Every viewpoint is allowed to the same extent that others are allowed.
• Every viewpoint is allowed to the same extent that others are allowed.
• The teacher has allowed it. Not required, but the teacher's allowed it.
• allowed to form.

Bills: HB0159

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: student rights, free expression, K-12 education, speech protection, religious views, political speech, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our concern is not with allowing fire-hardened materials.
• hallways, which therefore allows more floor area for living spaces.
• within the current density allowances in rural areas.
• so it's really hard for counties to understand what they can in fact allow.
• Permits from the local government allowing the development.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several housing-related bills. On SB 6054, Senator Hunt’s bill to prohibit common-interest community rules from blocking wildfire home-hardening materials, staff explained that HOA and condominium governing documents could still impose reasonable aesthetic rules, but not ones that make fire-resistant materials infeasible or more than 10% costlier. The sponsor described the bill as a response to HOA requirements for less fire-resistant roofs. Testifiers generally supported the goal but objected to the 10% cost cap, saying it could limit community-specific design choices and create unintended conflicts with aesthetic standards. The committee also heard SB 601 on scissor stairs in the building code. The sponsor and supporters from Futurewise, architects, and housing advocates said scissor stairs could make mid-rise and high-rise housing more efficient, reduce corridor space, and improve unit layouts without sacrificing life safety. They noted the design is used in places like Vancouver, B.C. and in some Washington venues, and argued the bill would help lower costs and increase housing supply. No opposition was presented during the hearing. For SB 6015 on permit-ready residential plans, staff said L&I would create a process for publishing approved plans for factory-built housing and certain small residential types, with local governments required to approve applications using those plans on qualifying lots starting in 2027. Supporters from builders, architects, Habitat for Humanity, and Sightline said statewide standard plans could reduce duplication, speed permitting, and help scale factory-built and potentially site-built housing. Counties and L&I were supportive in concept but raised concerns about mandating local adoption of model ordinances and about whether the bill should include site-built plans as well. The committee also heard SB 5470 on detached ADUs outside urban growth areas, with supporters saying it would help rural homeowners and intergenerational living, while Futurewise opposed the bill as written and sought tighter density, lot-size, and metering limits. Finally, the committee heard SB 5729, a permit-streamlining bill that would deem completeness for applications prepared by licensed professionals and limit local governments to three review cycles. Builders and business groups supported it as a way to reduce delays and costs, while counties, cities, and Futurewise argued it could lead to more denials, less communication, and unintended liability concerns. In executive session, the committee adopted the proposed substitute for SB 5884 and moved it forward with a do-pass recommendation to Ways and Means.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just allowing them to enter into those contracts, and it's allowing the contracts also potentially
• It’s allowing... So those types already exist.
• Thank you for allowing me to speak. I live in Ellensburg, Washington.
• This bill allows cities who wish to continue offering these services to allow their citizens to choose
• over 20 years ago to allow that.

Bills: HB2103 , HB2388 , HB2316 , HB2006 , HB2224

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: renewable energy, nonemitting generation, public entities, contracting, electric generation, distributed energy, agricultural land, energy generation, renewable resources, siting regulations, land use, urban development, vegetation management, shrubsteppe, environmental regulation, economic development, sales tax, rural counties, industrial land banks, growth management

Transcript Highlights:

• It also allows for the continual ongoing best practices that schools are doing, and it allows schools
• It also allows for the continual ongoing best practices that schools are doing, and it allows schools
• It also allows for the continual ongoing best practices that schools are doing, and it allows schools
• It also allows for the continual ongoing best practices that schools are doing, and it allows schools
• It also allows for the continual ongoing best practices that schools are doing, and it allows schools

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Some school districts allow administrators to roll annual leave; they accumulate beyond the 60 days allowed
• c><00:08:18.319><c> they</c><00:08:18.479><c> have</c> allowed they allow them if they have allowed they
• They're allowed to report 12 days.
• </c> what this will do is it will will allow what this will do is it will will allow for<00:38:28.839
• to expend this earning we're allowed to expend this would<00:43:33.839><c> allow</c><00:43:34.079><c

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:44 Attendance Roll Call: 00:55 SB 193 (Sen. Girdler): 01:53 SB 9 (Sen. Higdon): 03:22 SB 257 (Sen. Tichenor): 34:14 Adjournment: 50:57, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government first took up Senate Bill 193, a simple measure described as restoring wallet cards for jailers to carry when they are outside the jail. The sponsor noted the fiscal impact was essentially zero, there were no questions, and the committee approved the bill 9-0 for passage to the Senate floor. The committee then heard Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Senator Higdon, which would change how the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) treats sick leave, personal leave, and annual leave in retirement calculations. The sponsor argued the bill is intended to address TRS’s financial challenges by standardizing leave rules statewide, limiting TRS retirement credit to 10 sick days and 2 personal days per year, preventing annual leave from being rolled into sick leave, requiring districts to pay the actuarial cost for any leave beyond the cap, and adding reporting and oversight requirements for participating agencies. He also said the bill would add 30 days of maternity leave, allow voluntary district contributions for tier four teachers, and direct the state auditor to audit TRS and report on agencies. Committee members asked about how overages would be audited and billed, the cost of a sick day, and how the bill would interact with local leave policies, including paid parental leave in some districts. The sponsor clarified that existing accumulated leave would not be affected, that the bill applies going forward, and that districts could still offer more leave but would bear the added cost. Members also discussed whether the maternity leave language set a cap or a minimum, and one senator noted the bill was intended to preserve personal days while stopping annual leave from being converted into pension credit. No vote on Senate Bill 9 was shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our concern is not with allowing fire-hardened materials.
• Despite the downtown area being zoned to allow buildings of up to 300 feet.
• This is despite the downtown area being zoned to allow buildings of up to 300 feet.
• hallways, which therefore allows more floor area for living spaces.
• within the current density allowances in rural areas.

Bills: SB6001 , SB6015 , SB6054 , SB5470 , SB5884 , SB6018 , SB6027 , SB6028

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: building code, scissor stairs, safety regulations, construction standards, statebuilding regulations, residential building, construction permits, housing development, planning efficiency, state regulations, wildfire, home hardening, fire-resistant materials, fire-hardened building materials, common interest communities, homeowners association, HOA, condominium, condo association, wildland urban interface

Transcript Highlights:

• That being said, our bills would allow Michigan to get a head start...
• This would allow us to get a head start on this new crucial change so that we can...
• Thank you again for allowing me to testify. We're happy to answer any questions.
• And this bill says, keep safety, cut out the waste, allow us to use more of these buildings.
• The waste allows us to use more of these buildings, and the impact is immediate.

Committee: Senate Housing and Human Services

Summary: The Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services met with a quorum, adopted the June 16, 2026 minutes, and then unanimously adopted S-1 substitutes for House Bills 5570 and 5571. The chair said the committee would take testimony and likely not move to final passage that day, in order to allow more discussion and questions. The bills, as substituted, would allow local governments to permit certain multifamily buildings up to four stories to be built or converted with a single staircase, subject to conditions such as limits on units per floor, floor size, and existing fire safety requirements. A sunset provision was described as ending the statute once LARA adopts corresponding building code rules. Representatives Fairbairn and Wooden testified in support, saying the bills are intended to address Michigan’s housing shortage by making smaller infill and “missing middle” projects more feasible and less costly. They argued the current two-stair requirement drives up costs, makes land assembly harder, and limits development on narrow or irregular lots. Senators asked about stair width, emergency safety, the choice of four stories instead of six, and why the American Institute of Architects opposed the approach; the sponsors said the 48-inch stair width was intended to allow two-way movement, four stories was a compromise aligned with expected code changes, and the architects preferred rulemaking over statutory change. Supportive testimony came from Pew Charitable Trusts, which said research from New York City, Seattle, and other places found fire death rates in modern single-stair buildings to be indistinguishable from other multifamily buildings, and that modern safety features such as sprinklers, alarms, and fire-rated construction make these buildings safe. A developer from Ann Arbor and the Michigan Home Builders Association said the reform would improve floor-plan efficiency, reduce wasted circulation space, lower construction costs, and help smaller projects pencil out. Abundant Housing Michigan also supported the bills, estimating they could reduce apartment construction costs by nearly 13%. The clerk read in numerous written cards in support from business, housing, municipal, and advocacy groups, while the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs and the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union were listed as neutral. The committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if it fits within the allowable square footage that the calculator allows, it still has to adhere
• Space in excess of what the maximum allowable gross square foot calculation allows would be the responsibility
• We've always allowed that flexibility, Mr. Chair and members.
• amount of minimum allowable gym space.
• So I'm in favor of allowing people to come forward within the maximum allowable square footage, as long

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows residents to debate, deliberate, and decide the future of their town.
• RCV allows us to have our cake and eat it too.
• Allowing communities to adopt ranked choice voting is inexpensive, Allowing communities to adopt ranked
• They would be allowed to debate, bring motions, and vote as well.
• It really does allow more nuance to take hold of politics. It allows more specific issues.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a public hearing focused primarily on ranked choice voting (RCV) legislation and several local home rule petitions, along with one petition to authorize remote participation in Concord town meetings. Chairs Keenan and Hunt outlined hearing procedures and noted the committee would hear both in-person and virtual testimony. The committee also took testimony on Concord’s request for remote participation in open and special town meetings, with supporters arguing it would make town meeting more accessible to residents with childcare, mobility, work, or disability barriers while preserving direct democracy. A large portion of the hearing centered on RCV local-option bills and municipal petitions from communities including Concord, East Hampton, Salem, Chelsea, Arlington, Revere, Amherst, and others. Supporters—among them local officials, legislators, election advocates, educators, veterans, and nonprofit leaders—said RCV would reduce vote-splitting, encourage more candidates, promote more positive campaigning, improve representation, and increase turnout. East Hampton officials described their existing use of RCV, saying it produced record turnout, was easy for voters to understand with education, and could be expanded to multi-winner races without major added cost. Concord and Amherst witnesses said their voters had already approved local steps toward RCV and urged the committee to let municipalities implement the system without further delay. Testimony in favor of the local-option RCV bill emphasized home rule and local control, with several witnesses arguing the state should not block communities that have already voted to adopt RCV. Speakers from MassVOTE, the AFT Massachusetts, Voter Choice Massachusetts, Progressive Massachusetts, the Boston Teachers Union, and Veterans for All Voters said the reform would strengthen democracy, broaden participation, and save money by avoiding low-turnout preliminary elections. Some witnesses also referenced examples from Cambridge, Maine, and Utah to argue that RCV is workable, nonpartisan, and familiar to voters. The hearing ended with no votes or final committee action taken in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So really it gets down to allowing school districts the funding and the flexibility.
• So really it gets down to allowing school districts the funding and the flexibility.
• So really it gets down to allowing school districts the funding and the flexibility.
• </c> uh districts already have this allows uh districts already have this allows dis<00:03:52.480><c>
• </c> Constitution in Minnesota and allowing Constitution in Minnesota and allowing school<00:04:47.400

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The building is not our space to allow our friends to use.
• who allowed business associates who allowed business associates to<00:08:47.920><c> use</c><00:08:49.000
• Allow our families to understand what's going on by being here.
• Allow our families to understand what's going on by being here.
• ><c> to</c><00:12:21.520><c> understand</c> Allow our uh families to understand Allow our uh families

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , they could have very easily heard my bill that I'm running for a second year in a row that only allows
• Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2573 revises DUI laws to allow certain first-time aggravated offenders
• It also allows DIFI to require modeling and data organizations to file supporting data or additional
• It also allows DIFI to require modeling and data organizations to file supporting data or additional
• This bill, HB 2136, would allow, at least, to declare approaches...

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long calendar of House bills across education, health, water, land, housing, labor, public safety, and taxation. Several measures dealt with artificial intelligence, including bills on AI disclosures for minors, AI-assisted divorce arbitration, an Arizona AI education program, AI privilege protections, and a required AI course in schools. Other topics included ESA administration funding, a prohibition on public money for certain foreign-controlled genetic sequencing devices, towing regulations, DUI and ignition interlock changes, health facility and nursing facility complaint timelines, internationally trained physicians, nurse anesthetist reimbursement, pharmacy penalties, childhood cancer research, cybersecurity encryption, school mental health instruction repeal, superintendent performance pay, adoption disclosures in student health settings, anti-Semitism in schools, and a range of water, land, and housing bills. Members frequently raised concerns about local control, unfunded mandates, constitutional issues, and the scope of state intervention. Several bills drew criticism for affecting school curriculum, public education, reproductive rights, protest activity, or tribal communities. Others were supported as technical fixes, consumer protections, or funding measures. The caucus also discussed a series of bills related to the Mexican gray wolf, state land management, solar and wind siting, groundwater transport, and rural development, with some members objecting that the proposals would undermine federal protections or tribal interests. A number of bills were pulled from consent for further discussion, including HB 2020, HB 2957, HCR 2044, HB 2352, HB 2667, HB 2906, HB 2093, HB 2386, HB 2481, HB 2830, HB 2076, HB 2411, HB 2136, HB 2665, and HB 2904. The meeting ended with an announcement of the Latino Caucus guest presentation and an emotional tribute to Reverend Jesse Jackson, followed by presentation of an Affordability Award to Representatives Lorena Austin and Stephanie Simacek for work on economic justice and working families. The caucus then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would we still be allowing, or allowing cities to require, that type of first floor that could accommodate
• Would we still be allowing, or allowing cities to require, that type of first floor that could accommodate
• If you can make money doing that, a city can still allow it.
• will expand the allowable uses and create mixed zones.
• But most importantly, this bill will allow us... ...efficiency.

Bills: SB6018 , SB6026 , SB6027 , SB6028 , SB5937 , SB5938

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: housing, finance, commission, state funding, affordable housing, residential development, zoning reform, mixed-use zoning, commercial zones, Growth Management Act, GMA, state preemption, local land use, development regulations, ground-floor retail, ground-floor commercial, permit waiver, waiver process, density, urban growth area